By Terry Lane From Lumina News

From 8 am Saturday through 8 am Sunday morning, 40 volunteer teams of paddlers will take part in a nationwide 24-hour paddle to raise money and show support for local families affected by cancer. The 24/Go Because You Can paddle goal is simple: Do something that you love to inspire your community to help families dealing with cancer.

In 2015, the event involved a single relay team of six paddlers on the waters off of Seattle. In a month’s time, the team exceeded its initial fundraising goal and placed $7,000 in seven special envelopes, which were quietly given to seven local families with a note saying: “There is a community of people who love you and are fighting for you.” What started as a crazy idea has turned into a successful grassroots movement. Over $48,000 was raised in 2016 from seven teams across the United States and Canada (including NC’s team from Wrightsville Beach). By 2018, the teams increased to represent 20 cities, raising $162,000 for this grassroots effort.

On June 13, 2019, 40 24/Go Because You Can teams will launch at the same moment across the country, also including teams from Canada and the Cayman Islands, and paddling SUPs (stand-up paddleboards), outriggers, and prone boards. Locally, the 12-person Wrightsville Beach team represents paddlers from North Carolina, who will paddle Wrightsville Beach’s waters from Blockade Runner’s sound side beach in 2-hour shifts, from 8 am Saturday through 8 am on Sunday. This year’s local event is supported by the Blockade Runner Beach Resort, providing a staging and gathering area for the team and supporters on the resort’s sound side beach. Blaze Pizza, Stumpy’s Hatchet House in Greenville and the Workshop coffee shop in Wrightsville Beach are also providing support for the 24/WB team.

“The 24 is in its fifth year and the simple idea of doing what we love to help others is proving that as a community – we can do extraordinary things. I am honored to be part of it,” said founder Troy Nebeker of this year’s event. In her fourth year on the Wrightsville Beach team, Tracy Skrabal adds “Sadly, we are all touched in some way by cancer. This paddle event is a simple gesture to provide support and hope during a very difficult time, but it can also be healing for those who join the paddle, or support the team on behalf of their loved ones or themselves.”

The community is encouraged to participate by joining the paddlers during any shift, adding names to a community banner in memory of a loved one or in support of families fighting cancer, or by donating money to the cause through a go-fund-me website:http://www.gofundme.com/Wrightsville Beach 24. Donations may also be dropped off at the Fred and Alice Stanback Education Center at Wrightsville Beach at 309 W. Salisbury St. anytime until April 19th.

For more on this story go to:http://luminanews.com/2019/04/24-hour-paddle-in-wrightsville-beach-to-benefit-families-fighting-cancer/